Electric controller.



A 0 9 1. O 8 G U A D E T N E T A P L L A D N I L J ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

. (1AA 7w I a UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 1904. I

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LINDALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,610, dated August 30, 1904 Application filed January 13,1904. Serial No. 188,830. (No model.)

'To (ZZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN LINDALL, of Boston, county of Sufiolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Elec' on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to electriccontrollers of that class embodying'a seriesor plurality of contact pieces or segments which are mounted on a rotatable shaft or spindle and which cooperate with a series of contact arms or fingers. a

The present invention has for its object to increase the efficiency and durability of electric controllers of the class described and to reduce to a minimum the cost of maintaining such controllers in efiiective working condition. In accordance with this invention the con.- tact pieces or segments are provided with detachable portions which are subjected to the greatest wear, and especially to any arcing which may occur in'operating the controller, and the contact arms or fingers are provided with detachable portions which are subjected to like treatment. The detachable portions of the contact-segments and of the contact arms or fingers may and preferably will be secured to the main portion of the said segments and arms, as will be described. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification. a

Figure 1 represents in elevation a suflicient portion of one form'of circuit-controller embodying this invention to enable it to be understood; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail of one of the contact fingers and segments shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of the contact-finger shown in 2; Fig. 4:, a detail in elevation of a contact-segment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, a plan view of Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the detachable portion of the contact-finger shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 a perspective view'of the detachable portion of the contact-segment shown in Fig. 2.

In the present instance the invention is shown as embodied in an electric controller propelled cars and which is provided with a shaft or spindle a, suitably supported to rotate in a box or case 6, provided with a door 0 and containing. a series or plurality of contact arms or fingers cl, which cooperate with a series or plurality of contact-segments a, usually made of copper and secured to lugs or projections f, cast on a metal cylinder (see Fig. 2,) which is fastened onto the shaft or spindle a to rotate therewith. The contact-fingers d have suitably secured to them, as by the rivets h, (see Fig. 2, )sheet-metal springs cl, which are fastened, as by screws to a bar or support within the box or case b.

In controllers of the class referred to as now commonly constructed .and known to me'the contact fingers and segments in practice are frequently burned away at their ends by the are formed between them. which in time renders it necessaryto renew the said contact fingers andsegments, which is an important item on such as now commonlyused onelectricallyof controllers of the class described, and for this purpose the contact-segment is provided with adetachablc portion 10 and the contactfinger (Z is provided with a detachable portion 12, which detachableportions are the parts worn out-in the use of the controller and which can be renewed in aminimum time and at a minimum expense. The detachable portion 10 of the contact-segment may andpreferably will be made as herein shown and consists of a strip, piece, or bar, provided on its upper surface at or near its rear side or edge with a groove or channel 13 and a 11p 14, (see Fig.'

7,) and the main or body portion of the contact-segment is provided on its under surface near its front side or edge with a groove 15 and. a'lip 16, which interlock with the lip and v groove on the detachable end portion 10, so that the upper or outer surfaces of the body portion and end portion are'substantially flush, as represented in Figs. 2 and 4E. By reference to Figs. 2 and 4 it will be seen that the body'portion 6 when secured to the lug or projection f on the cylinder g firmly clamps the detachable end portion 10 to said lug or projection f, the said end portion being interlocked with the body portion, which latter is secured to the lug or projection f by screws 18.

The detachable end portion 12 of the contact finger or arm d is provided with a substantially central rib 20, (see Fig. 6,) which is extended up into a tranverse slot, groove, or channel 21 on the under side of said contact finger or arm. The detachable end'portion 12 of the contact-finger may be secured to the finger proper by screws 22, which extend through the finger proper and into threaded sockets 23 in the rib 20 of the detachable portion 12.

In operation the wear comes largely on the detachable end portion 10 of the contact-segment and upon the detachable portion 12 of the contact-finger, which parts in practice are in time burned away by the are formed between them, especially when the contact-segment is withdrawn from engagement with the contactfinger. These detachable parts are capable of being quickly and easily renewed, for in the case of the contact segment it is only necessary to withdraw the screws 18 sufficiently far to permit the unlocking of the removable end 10 and to replace it with a new end portion. In the case of the detachable portion 12 of the contact-finger it is only necessary to remove the screws 22 from engagement with the said end portion and again engage them with a new end portion.

I prefer to make the detachable end portion of the contact-segment and of the contact-finger as herein shown, as such construction enables them to be made at a minimum expense, as both parts can be made in long strips or pieces and cut off of the proper length to conform to the width of the segments and contact-fingers. I may prefer to provide both the contact-segments and the contact-fingers with detachable portions, as described. Ido not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as good results may be obtained by providing only one of said parts with a detachable end portion.

1 claim 1. In an electric controller of the character described, in combination, a rotatable shaft or spindle, a sleeve mounted on said shaft to revolve therewith and provided with a plurality .of lugs or projections, contact-segments secured to said lugs or projections and provided 3 with detachable end portions interlocked with said segments and secured to said lugs or projections by said contact-segments, and a plurality of spring-pressed contact fingers or arms cooperating with said segments and provided with detachable portions which make contact with said segments, substantially as described.

2. In an electric controller of the character described, in combination, a rotatable shaft or spindle, a sleeve mounted on said shaft to revolve therewith and provided with a plurality of lugs or projections, contact-segments secured to said lugs or projections and provided with detachable end portions interlocked with said segments and secured to said lugs or projections by said contact-segments, and a plurality of contact-fingers cooperating with said segments, substantially as described.

3. In an electric circuit-controller, in combination, a contact-segment comprising a main or body portion provided at one side or edge with a lip or projection, and a detachable portion having a lip which is adapted to interlock with the lip on the body portion, a contactfinger coi'iperating with said segment and provided with a groove on its under side, a detachable portion of said contact-linger having a rib extended into said groove, and means to secure said detachable portion to said contactfinger, substantially as described.

4. In an electric circuit-controller, a contactsegment comprising a main or body portion provided with a lip or projection, a support to which said contact-segment is secured, a. detachable portion having a lip or projection interlocked with the lip or projection on the body portion to prevent movement of said dotachable portion laterally with relation to said body portion, and secured to said support by said body portion, and means to secure sai segment to its support, substantially as described.

5. In a circuit-controller, a cylinder provided with lug or projection, a contact-segment com prising a body portion provided with a groove on its under side forming a downward-extended lip, means to secure said body portion to said lug, and a detachable end portion for said segment having a groove on its upper surface forming a lip, which extended into the groove in the body portion to interlock the lip on the detachable end portion with the lip on the body portion, said detachable end portion being secured to the lug or projection by said body portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN LIN DALL.

itnesses:

J AS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

